Well, an extra long chappie on New Years Day! Happy New Year to all!
As Minerva entered the Gryffindor common room, she felt as if she was being watched by a hundred eyes. Well, she was, actually. In fact, the incident between her- star pupil, model student!- and the new teacher was the hottest news of the school. Minerva McGonagall, arguing with a Professor… who didn't even teach Divinations! They all knew of her somewhat… vehement dislike of that particular subject- and of the very respectable Professor Imprevus, who taught it. They all knew of the rather rude conversations she usually had with him during class. Well, actually, they all knew she'd called him a "incapable charlatan" and walked out of his classroom in fifth year, to never return again.
But this was different. This was Transfigurations, her favorite subject. The subject she was a genius at. This was Professor Dumbledore. Professor Dumbledore, important, famous, probably greatest wizard of his time… and her Head of House! Not exactly the person any student would want to argue with, really. And Minerva McGonagall, Minerva-I-never-get-detention McGonagall… Detention…
As Minerva fell down on her usual chair, feeling the awkward silence and the curious gazes in the room, she laughed and looked around. But she did not say anything- until Tammy, who was undoubtedly the most curious of them all, asked eagerly, playfully slapping her friend on the cheek
"So, young lady, are you going to tell us about it or aren't you? You better are!"
Minerva smiled.
"It wasn't all bad, really, guys! Don't look at me as if I've just escaped a lake full of crocodiles…"
Pat rolled his eyes.
"Hear her! I mean, Min, it was actually you who first made the lake-full-of-crocodiles comparison."
Tammy nodded vehemently and Phelas, who was sitting next to her, added
"Well, yes, and don't tell me you enjoyed your detention. Even you cannot enjoy detentions!"
Minerva smiled faintly.
"I guess I'll take that as a compliment. But you know…"
But before she could say more, a mischievous-looking girl with short, silvery-blond hairs interrupted her.
"No, come on, Minerva, what did he make you do? I mean- we have been waiting here for you all night, and…"
"Firstly," Minerva answered semi-sternly. "it's only been three hours, you can hardly speak of all night. And secondly, Rolanda, you've been to Quidditch practice, so how could you ever hve waited for me "all night"."
Rolanda Hooch rolled her eyes, but then guiltily bowed her head.
"Alright, Tabby, alright. I have been to Quidditch practice. By the way, you have missed something, young lady! Actually, you are going to miss something! A whole week of Quidditch practice, and the match…" Rolanda was a Chaser of the Gryffindor Quidditch team- a wonderful Chaser, really.
"Okay," Minerva raised her hands. "okay, I admit guilt. And I promise that I will train twice as hard -after this week-for the upcoming match." With a twitch of irony, she added
"You won't have to miss your fantastic Seeker any longer. Really, Rolanda, can't you really find another Seeker. I just want to…"
Rolanda rolled her strange, yellowish eyes again.
"Minerva, don't give us the "concentrate on my studies"-rubbish again. You are our Seeker, we need you, you like Quidditch and you are really good."
"I am not." responded Minerva dryly. "I am not bad, okay, but you would make a way better Seeker, Rolanda, and you know that."
Rolanda looked at her friend, and then shook her head.
"Min, we need you. I could not catch a Snitch like you to save my life!"
"But," was Minerva's last- weak- defence. "I am… well, I am just not the sport-type, you know."
"No," laughed Rolanda. "no, you are every inch a lady, Min. But you love Quidditch, don't you? And we really… I mean… we need you, Min. Please play."
Minerva looked into her friends eyes. She saw the ever-present mischievous twinkle, of course, but she also read a serious, a sincere plea from one friend to the other. And she nodded and smiled.
"I will play, Ro. I won't let you guys down."
Rolanda grinned broadly and laid a hand on her friend's arm.
"Thanks Min. I really appreciate this…"
"And would you two Quidditch-freaks please shut up!" Tammy, Poppy Pomfrey and Serena Sinistra yelled in unison- but they were laughing. "Come on now, Minerva, how was the bloody Detention with Dumbledore?"
The capitalized "D" in "detention" was so obviously pronounced that Minerva laughed as well.
"It was alright. Really! I mean- he made me correct some homework of a few first years.
The first year Gryffindors, sitting in a corner of the Common Room, startled. Suddenly, one of the braver ones- Shinn Sinistra, Serena's younger sis- asked softly
"How was mine… Minerva?"
The other first years glanced hopefully at the older girl. They were all a bit frightened of her- she was so tall, and so smart, and so stern sometimes. And a Prefect, after all.
But Minerva smiled friendly.
"They were all alright. I mean- a few A's- acceptable- and a few "Exceeds Expectations" and some really good ones. Nothing to be afraid of, really."
The first years smiled back shyly.
"Thank you."
"So, so, so? You haven't been grading those things for three hours, have you?" Rolanda pressed the matter again. "Now you've made me rather curious as well!"
Minerva sighed theatrically and raised her hands.
"Really, do you all have such boring lives that even a simple detention makes you all go curious? I mean…"
"Yes, but this was detention with Dumbledore?" Poppy answered.
"And?"
"And Dumbledore is famous and- well, quite handsome, actually." Serena grinned sheepishly.
Tammy nodded.
"Yeah, even I have noticed that!" she smiled.
"Hey, you have me to look at, Tams!" Phelas objected, protectively laying an arm around his girlfriend. "You aren't supposed to drool over old Professors!"
Tammy smiled.
"Oh god, are you jealous?"
"No."
"Oh yes you are!"
"I am not."
"Oh yes you are!"
"I am not."
As they kept going on, Rolanda rolled her eyes and threw Minerva's cloak over the couple and turned to Minerva.
"You know, Min, he really is quite handsome. And he is not exactly old. Like, well, twenty years our senior, perhaps."
"More!" sounded Phelas's muffled voice.
"Oh shut up. So, Min, what did you do afterwards?"
"Play chess." Minerva responded dryly.
The reaction of her friends was somewhat more vehement.
"What?"
"I mean, you actually played…"
"And that was your detention?"
"You hated him!"
"My god, Min, what…"
And then, suddenly, Rolanda's voice- ever the sportswoman.
"Who has won?"
Minerva laughed.
"I have."
"Good."
"Min, YOU HATED HIM!" Tammy repeated her former exclamation. "You have played chess with him and you hated him!"
Minerva shrugged her shoulders.
"Well, not anymore. I kind of like him, now. Perhaps I really was wrong about him."
Tammy stared at her friend as if she'd just seen a ghost.
Pat waved his hand before her eyes.
Serena held her breath.
But it was Rolanda again who actually said something.
"My god… have you , Minerva Katherine McGonagall, really, here, now, admitted that you were wrong? Minerva, you surprise me everyday."
"Wait…"
Poppy raised her hand.
"Does this mean that… that you have been playing chess, talking, maybe even having fun with that well… bloody handsome Professor of ours? Min…"
Rolanda softly whistled and smiled as Minerva gave her a very, very stern look.
"Don't you dare imply anything, Ro. He is my teacher. He is our teacher. Perhaps he is handsome-"
"So you admit he's handsome!"
"-but he is our teacher." The last word had come out as quite a hysterical cry- a totally not-like-her-usual-self hysterical cry.
Poppy, Serena and Tammy started laughing.
"My god, Min, are you in love with this man or what?"
They were joking, of course, but yet, Minerva slightly overreacted and yelled
"NO!!!"
Please Review???
As Minerva entered the Gryffindor common room, she felt as if she was being watched by a hundred eyes. Well, she was, actually. In fact, the incident between her- star pupil, model student!- and the new teacher was the hottest news of the school. Minerva McGonagall, arguing with a Professor… who didn't even teach Divinations! They all knew of her somewhat… vehement dislike of that particular subject- and of the very respectable Professor Imprevus, who taught it. They all knew of the rather rude conversations she usually had with him during class. Well, actually, they all knew she'd called him a "incapable charlatan" and walked out of his classroom in fifth year, to never return again.
But this was different. This was Transfigurations, her favorite subject. The subject she was a genius at. This was Professor Dumbledore. Professor Dumbledore, important, famous, probably greatest wizard of his time… and her Head of House! Not exactly the person any student would want to argue with, really. And Minerva McGonagall, Minerva-I-never-get-detention McGonagall… Detention…
As Minerva fell down on her usual chair, feeling the awkward silence and the curious gazes in the room, she laughed and looked around. But she did not say anything- until Tammy, who was undoubtedly the most curious of them all, asked eagerly, playfully slapping her friend on the cheek
"So, young lady, are you going to tell us about it or aren't you? You better are!"
Minerva smiled.
"It wasn't all bad, really, guys! Don't look at me as if I've just escaped a lake full of crocodiles…"
Pat rolled his eyes.
"Hear her! I mean, Min, it was actually you who first made the lake-full-of-crocodiles comparison."
Tammy nodded vehemently and Phelas, who was sitting next to her, added
"Well, yes, and don't tell me you enjoyed your detention. Even you cannot enjoy detentions!"
Minerva smiled faintly.
"I guess I'll take that as a compliment. But you know…"
But before she could say more, a mischievous-looking girl with short, silvery-blond hairs interrupted her.
"No, come on, Minerva, what did he make you do? I mean- we have been waiting here for you all night, and…"
"Firstly," Minerva answered semi-sternly. "it's only been three hours, you can hardly speak of all night. And secondly, Rolanda, you've been to Quidditch practice, so how could you ever hve waited for me "all night"."
Rolanda Hooch rolled her eyes, but then guiltily bowed her head.
"Alright, Tabby, alright. I have been to Quidditch practice. By the way, you have missed something, young lady! Actually, you are going to miss something! A whole week of Quidditch practice, and the match…" Rolanda was a Chaser of the Gryffindor Quidditch team- a wonderful Chaser, really.
"Okay," Minerva raised her hands. "okay, I admit guilt. And I promise that I will train twice as hard -after this week-for the upcoming match." With a twitch of irony, she added
"You won't have to miss your fantastic Seeker any longer. Really, Rolanda, can't you really find another Seeker. I just want to…"
Rolanda rolled her strange, yellowish eyes again.
"Minerva, don't give us the "concentrate on my studies"-rubbish again. You are our Seeker, we need you, you like Quidditch and you are really good."
"I am not." responded Minerva dryly. "I am not bad, okay, but you would make a way better Seeker, Rolanda, and you know that."
Rolanda looked at her friend, and then shook her head.
"Min, we need you. I could not catch a Snitch like you to save my life!"
"But," was Minerva's last- weak- defence. "I am… well, I am just not the sport-type, you know."
"No," laughed Rolanda. "no, you are every inch a lady, Min. But you love Quidditch, don't you? And we really… I mean… we need you, Min. Please play."
Minerva looked into her friends eyes. She saw the ever-present mischievous twinkle, of course, but she also read a serious, a sincere plea from one friend to the other. And she nodded and smiled.
"I will play, Ro. I won't let you guys down."
Rolanda grinned broadly and laid a hand on her friend's arm.
"Thanks Min. I really appreciate this…"
"And would you two Quidditch-freaks please shut up!" Tammy, Poppy Pomfrey and Serena Sinistra yelled in unison- but they were laughing. "Come on now, Minerva, how was the bloody Detention with Dumbledore?"
The capitalized "D" in "detention" was so obviously pronounced that Minerva laughed as well.
"It was alright. Really! I mean- he made me correct some homework of a few first years.
The first year Gryffindors, sitting in a corner of the Common Room, startled. Suddenly, one of the braver ones- Shinn Sinistra, Serena's younger sis- asked softly
"How was mine… Minerva?"
The other first years glanced hopefully at the older girl. They were all a bit frightened of her- she was so tall, and so smart, and so stern sometimes. And a Prefect, after all.
But Minerva smiled friendly.
"They were all alright. I mean- a few A's- acceptable- and a few "Exceeds Expectations" and some really good ones. Nothing to be afraid of, really."
The first years smiled back shyly.
"Thank you."
"So, so, so? You haven't been grading those things for three hours, have you?" Rolanda pressed the matter again. "Now you've made me rather curious as well!"
Minerva sighed theatrically and raised her hands.
"Really, do you all have such boring lives that even a simple detention makes you all go curious? I mean…"
"Yes, but this was detention with Dumbledore?" Poppy answered.
"And?"
"And Dumbledore is famous and- well, quite handsome, actually." Serena grinned sheepishly.
Tammy nodded.
"Yeah, even I have noticed that!" she smiled.
"Hey, you have me to look at, Tams!" Phelas objected, protectively laying an arm around his girlfriend. "You aren't supposed to drool over old Professors!"
Tammy smiled.
"Oh god, are you jealous?"
"No."
"Oh yes you are!"
"I am not."
"Oh yes you are!"
"I am not."
As they kept going on, Rolanda rolled her eyes and threw Minerva's cloak over the couple and turned to Minerva.
"You know, Min, he really is quite handsome. And he is not exactly old. Like, well, twenty years our senior, perhaps."
"More!" sounded Phelas's muffled voice.
"Oh shut up. So, Min, what did you do afterwards?"
"Play chess." Minerva responded dryly.
The reaction of her friends was somewhat more vehement.
"What?"
"I mean, you actually played…"
"And that was your detention?"
"You hated him!"
"My god, Min, what…"
And then, suddenly, Rolanda's voice- ever the sportswoman.
"Who has won?"
Minerva laughed.
"I have."
"Good."
"Min, YOU HATED HIM!" Tammy repeated her former exclamation. "You have played chess with him and you hated him!"
Minerva shrugged her shoulders.
"Well, not anymore. I kind of like him, now. Perhaps I really was wrong about him."
Tammy stared at her friend as if she'd just seen a ghost.
Pat waved his hand before her eyes.
Serena held her breath.
But it was Rolanda again who actually said something.
"My god… have you , Minerva Katherine McGonagall, really, here, now, admitted that you were wrong? Minerva, you surprise me everyday."
"Wait…"
Poppy raised her hand.
"Does this mean that… that you have been playing chess, talking, maybe even having fun with that well… bloody handsome Professor of ours? Min…"
Rolanda softly whistled and smiled as Minerva gave her a very, very stern look.
"Don't you dare imply anything, Ro. He is my teacher. He is our teacher. Perhaps he is handsome-"
"So you admit he's handsome!"
"-but he is our teacher." The last word had come out as quite a hysterical cry- a totally not-like-her-usual-self hysterical cry.
Poppy, Serena and Tammy started laughing.
"My god, Min, are you in love with this man or what?"
They were joking, of course, but yet, Minerva slightly overreacted and yelled
"NO!!!"
Please Review???